Preventing Hate Crimes

by Scott Grabel

A hate crime is a criminal act that is committed against a person because of their sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, or disability. These acts can include vandalism, assault, arson, and even murder as well as verbal abuse, bullying, and harassment. Concern about hate crimes is increasingly growing as biases continue to inspire these crimes.

These crimes have a serious psychological effect on the victims. Luckily, some of the high profile cases of hate crimes have led to stricter laws to deal with the issue. The Hate Crime Prevention Act was passed as a law in October of 2009 and was conceived as a response to the high profile murders of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard and serves to give authorities greater control in investigating hate crimes and bringing charges. No person should have to fear being attacked based on certain personal characteristics. Check out the resources below to learn more about hate crimes and laws that have been put in place to deal with them.

History of Hate Crimes

Information About Hate Crimes

Effects on Victims

  • The Impact of Hate Violence – A discussion on the impact of hate crimes on victims including the behavioral and emotional responses to attacks.

  • Hate Crimes Hurt Families – Information about hate crimes including the lasting impact and direct impact on families of victims as well as how those families can make a difference.

  • How Does Hate Crime Impact Society? – An article discussing how hate crimes can affect whole societies and not just the victim of the crime.

  • Hate Crime Statistics – Statistics and information the amount of hate crime as well as what groups are most often targeted.

  • The Psychology of Hate Crimes – Information on the psychology of hate crimes and the effects that they can have on victims.

What Parents & Adults Can Do

What Students/Youth Can Do


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